Speaking on the recent visit by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, Deputy Andrew Doyle was keen to showcase the various enterprise components that make Wicklow a very attractive place to do business.
Andrew Doyle TD commented that “Wicklow is a unique county, strategically located with a diverse market segment and needs to be recognised as a potential key diver in the economic growth of the country. Based in the greater Dublin Area which at times can be a disadvantage in terms of Foreign Direct Investment, but if we can look at exploiting our infrastructural capacity, the strategic locations that we have for inward investment, Wicklow can play an even greater role in job creation. Wicklow has a very active community enterprise element, epitomised by Business Enterprise Centres and a number of hard working and dedicated associations and agencies such as Wicklow Area Partnership, Wicklow Tourism, the various Chambers of Commerce, independent business associations and the recent announcement that Arklow will benefit from regional aid programme. The individual components are already in place to position Wicklow as the “Economic Hub”.
“One of the key factors in all of this is the Clermont Campus which has both the educational infrastructure and the uniqueness of having Wicklow’s Local Enterprise Office on site with Carlow Institute of Technology. This strategic placement is rare in terms of innovation and enterprise on a county level. The Campus has the land capacity, designated for education, research and innovation and the ambition from stakeholders to develop the site into a dedicated nerve centre for job creation in Wicklow”
“It was very pleasing to note that both the Taoiseach and Minister Bruton got to see at first hand the level of innovation drive and ambition on their respective visits to Wicklow and the potential Clermont has for regional economic stimulus development that everyone can benefit from”, added Deputy Doyle.